filming

 

Planning First Filming Day!

 Planning First Day Filming!

So.... we have officially begun planning for filming!

Ideas/ Initial Planning. Pt. 1

 Inspiration has Struck. 

So. Do you remember last blog post when I said that I would think about what I liked from all the doc examples I recently watched and see what to incorporate in my sister's and I's..

No? Well, that was said! and Now I am doing it! (part 1)

When watching the documentaries and this last blog post, I took some notes in my journal discussing what aspects of some of the docs I did want to incorporate:

For this post, I am mainly focusing on the structure of the documentary episode, and all the little things I want to do that I've gotten inspired by from these recently mentioned documentaries!

1. Ugly Delicious:

- After discussing with my sister, we got a lot of help from this documentary, specifically revolving the balance between sit-down interviewing scenes, and casual B-roll dialogue scenes. 

David Chong does an amazing job at keeping the guests entertained and engaged with all the b-roll and insightful conversation, as well as provide sit-down interviews when needed. What Vic and I (my sister, I am too lazy to write out " my sister" all these times) decided is that we do want a mix of these, but they will both serve different purposes. 

We envision that when we have the "sit-down" interviews, the questions will all be surrounding personal statements (like "Why did you choose to start this XXX (hobby)?", or "How do you feel about this XXX/ What has this brought for you?"). During the B-roll, we do want to ask some questions, but more in a conversation, so just hitting a few points. These will be revolving the actual technicalities of the activity the episode is covering, "How do you make these airplanes?" etc.

VS.

(convo, standing/sitting/moving)

In addition, using montage-type sequences to introduce one of our selected people's locations/hobbies is inspired from Ugly Delicious, specifically the beginning for the Season 1 episode called Pizza. 

The beginning of this episode uses music in the background and slow-mo shots of the setting of the pizza place to introduce the tone, topic, and context of the newly developing episode. My sister and I wish to do this but with the locations where the communal hobbies/tasks take place. In addition, this montage gives space for the episode's specific tone to develop.

2. Bowling for Columbine:

- After watching Michael's dedicated presence in this documentary, it further supported the feeling that Vic and I had about us wanting to be more involved in the doc. As Michael was there standing next to most of the people he interviewed/talked to in B-roll dialogue, my sister and I want to do that. My sister and I kind of wanted to make it feel, for the audience, that they were "in it with us", that they were along this journey with us trying to discover if the community is being built in one's daily lives around us. In  my opinion, whenever I would see the director or "narrator" of the documentary (with David Chang too) on the screen getting involved, it made me feel like the myself and the narrator were on a team, and the person being interviewed was an outsider to this journey (to some extent they don't get the journey we are going on). Its just a small addition to why I think it is a good idea to get somewhat involved in the B-roll with the interviewee.

Overall:

This is just part one, as me and my sister are continuing to test other INSPIRING options :)) so far we will just continue to research, but most importantly, start shot listing soon and renting out equipment 😁😥

Real Documentaries & Research

Documentary Research:

Hey guys! To whoever reading this, how are you? I hope you are doing good. Just felt like we all needed a quick check up there. But I am doing and feeling really good about this project. 😝

After discussing with my teacher and sister the approach we wanted to take with this documentary, my sister and I have a clearer vision of what I am making. But, to fully see this vision, I am going to check out a couple fo documentaries (some suggested by Mrs. Stoklosa) that could inspire some choices in our documentary.

Ugly Delicious:

- Director: David Chang

- biographical

- explores how dish is made/ where originates from, travel, and how culture and community infuse together

- Netflix

WHAT I LIKED:

1.  Incorporation of B-roll (dialogue)

The B-roll was able to be used as a way to "interview" the interviewees without making it an actual interview. I feel like the B-roll served as a "show don't tell" method, in the sense that the dialogue was used to convey a necessary description and contextual information without it being in your face.

I also really liked how the B-roll was not too serious in tone, it played with playful and friendly tones, which matched the genre and style David is going for. it also matches David's " branding " for himself, in his earnest and comical interactions with most people in the show. In addition, David's integration of himself and his persona really contribute to the film's entertainment characteristics and in making the documentary seem more inviting and comforting.

Bowling for Columbine

- Director: Michael Moore

-Biographical

-Covers events that led to 1999 Columbine High Massacre, gun control, high homicide in America

1. Michael's incorporation of himself:

The way Michael (director, writer, and interviewer) integrates himself into the interviews and narration structure of the story is very interesting. Because in a way, this does seem like a documentary, but it also seems like a short film or told-out story. When it goes from B-roll (with Michael) to a third person POV VO of Michael describing what he had done in the B-roll, the storyline steers off a bit from an average documentary, which I had found to be interesting. Basically, the way he inserts himself into the present-time story (interviewing people in B-roll, etc) to the way he later creates different structures in his "omniscient" role as narrator makes this documentary extremely engaging and easy to follow.

  Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things

- Director: Matt D' Avella

- Sociological

Focuses on minimalist movement (embracing simplicity and intentional living even if it's not what society thinks they need)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8DGjUv-Vjc 

WHAT I LIKED:

1. Approach to addressing sociological information

I really enjoyed the way this documentary integrated its topic in a not completely "scientific way" while still utilizing statistics and outside experts to get its point across. The use of the psychologist interview was perfect in reinforcing the main message throughout this whole piece, concept of minimalism or the absence of it from today's general society. I thought the balance of "scientific data" to "average B-roll" was great, with it still informing the audience but not including too much statistics where it would "take over" the piece (bore audience).

In addition, I also liked the chosen topic for this documentary. It resonates to my chosen topic for the doc, because since this is a sociological documentary, the topic is a relevant social concept that most people wouldn't care to notice. But making a film about something society won't notice but is so present in t heir daily lives is so important and I find it to match perfectly with the message of my sister's and I's documentary.

REVIEWWWWW:

Overall, all watching these documentaries was extremely enlightening, in topic, but most of all when observing it for its technical elements and genre conventions, will prove to be extremely useful when arranging my sister's and I's details in structure for the documentary. I will continue to brainstorm more specific shots/things that I liked from these examples to put in my documentary!😜